Crown Prince Fumihito, his wife Crown Princess Kiko and their son Prince Hisahito attended the opening ceremony of a national high school cultural festival.

The event took place in Gifu, central Japan, on July 31.

This is the second time for Hisahito, a high school senior, to accompany his parents on an official domestic trip.

At the start of the ceremony, participants observed a moment of silence for victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture and surrounding areas on January 1.

Crown Prince Fumihito / I expect each of you to fully display the results of your daily activities and show them to the rest of the country.

High school students from Japan and abroad performed Gujo dance, a local traditional folk dance that has been added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

The imperial family danced along from their seats.

After the event, they met with high school students who participated in the ceremony.

Prince Hisahito / I’m sure you prepared for the event. Did you practice after school?

High school student / Just before the event, there were some that gathered after school.

The three stayed overnight in Gifu.

On August 1, they visited the Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu, to see works of arts and crafts on exhibit for the festival.

They stopped at a fish-shaped pottery made by a student from Okinawa Prefecture to depict the image of environmental destruction and marine pollution.

Hisahito asked the student if the blue parts of the work show coral bleaching, referring to the phenomenon that occurs when the seawater warms.